You are here: Home/blog/ How Do I Know If Being A Freelance English Teacher Is For Me?

How Do I Know If Being A Freelance English Teacher Is For Me?

Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash

Are you thinking about becoming a freelance English teacher? Not sure if you’d be ‘right for it?’ Are you wondering if you have the right skills and experience to be a successful freelance teacher?

If you’ve been wondering if being a freelance English teacher is for you, then my friend you’re in the right place! Today’s podcast is going to help you figure out what you really need in order to become a successful freelance English teacher.

How Do I Know If Being a Freelance English Teaching Is For Me – Show Notes

Pay Attention to How Teaching English Makes You Feel.

It doesn’t matter where you are teaching right now – how do you feel when you do it?

Excited?

Energized?

Full of life and ready for more?

Like you’re ‘playing’ not ‘working?’

OR

Does Teaching Make you feel…

Like your energy is slowly/or quickly draining from you every time you step into class?

Lifeless?

Like some part of you – maybe your soul, or your heart, is slowly draining away when you teach?

I can’t keep doing this….

Journal Your Feelings

After your next week of teaching English, take a few minutes to sit down immediately after you classes, and journal how it made you feel.

What did you find yourself thinking about as you taught?

What’s happening inside you before, during, after each class?

TRUTHS:

the more you do something that builds you up, the better! If teaching is that thing – you need to be doing more of it! In contrast: if you feel like you’re being torn down by teaching – you need to seriously reconsider your path! This may not be a good fit for you.

If you have a passion and love for teaching, that’s a good indicator that freelance teaching will be a good fit for you.

Freelance English Teachers Don’t Know Everything: What Do You Do About It?

Are you comfortable with not knowing all the answers in your class – like when a student pops a tough question? Are you comfortable with working hard to find the answers you need when you need them? (You never stop learning!) If you are open to doing the work of finding answers to questions you may face in class, or in your business – vs waiting for someone to hand you the answers – then freelancing could be a good fit for you!

How Do You Deal with Uncertainty?

Working for someone else, like a school, university, or English teaching company often is linked to ‘predictable’ and ‘stable.’

When working for someone else, you can be pretty sure that you’ll be paid for your work – on time, every time.

Remember: Freelancing is something YOU create. Instability often happens when you’re not paying attention to creating stability – and even when you’re working hard at it – instability can still happen. (Late payments, client has a cash flow problem, human error…etc.)

Freelance vs work for someone else: it’s up to you to make things become regular – not an employer!

You’re the one who has to bring in new students, bill on time, replace students if they stop, etc.

If you’re not comfortable with that idea – of all this being up to you – then you shouldn’t pursue being a freelance English teacher.

You should not be a freelance English teacher if you aren’t comfortable with the idea of going out and making things happen yourself.

There’s nothing wrong with working for someone else – if you feel more comfortable that way. You just must be clear with yourself: freelancing means responsibility to find and bring on new students AND KEEP OLD ONES, rests on you. IF you don’t feel ok with that, freelancing is likely not for you.

What Do I Do If I’ve Never Freelanced Before?

If you’re working for someone as an employee – see if you can take on a few students on the side.

See how you feel with finding new students, serving them, and replacing them if they leave.

Don’t drop your current work to freelance. Instead – take small steps towards working for yourself to get a feel for what it’s like. You don’t need the pressure of making this work – keep your current job, and take small steps forward in freelancing.

No matter how hard you work, and use great systems – there is still a chance of random happening! Are you ok with that?

Are You Able To Pick Yourself – Every. Single. Day?

Don’t wait for someone else to choose you! Freelancers choose themselves – every single day! Are you willing to do that?

If you are ok with picking yourself and getting to the work of serving your students- of acting without being ‘picked’ by a school or language training company – then freelancing could be a great fit for you!